Huntsville gazette., 1887-03-05
FRED DOUGLASS In EUROPE.
How he has been received
in England and France.

From a private letter from Paris to
a friend Mr., Douglass writes l have
everywhere been received IN this coun-
try and in England with civility,
courtesy ard kindness, and as a man
among men, as I expect, d to be. |
have felt, however. that my presence
here, even IL silence. has good infu-
ence III respect to the standing Of the
colored race before the world. The
leprous distillment Of American preiu
dice against the negro is not confined
to the Unite d States America has
her nissit naries abroad in the shape
Of Ethiopian singers, who disfgure
and distort the features of the Negro
and bnrlesque his language and man.
ners in way to make him appear to
thousands as more akin to apes than
to men. This mode of warfare is
purely American, and it is carried on
here in Paris, as it in the great cities
Of England and in the States, 80 that
to many minds, as no good was
thought to come out Of Nazareth, 80
no good is expected Of the Negro. In
addition to these Ethiopian buffoons
and serenaders, who presume to rep
resent us abroad, there are malicious
American writer's who take pleasure
in assailing us as an infer ior and good
for-nothing race of which it is impos-
ible to make anything.
These influences are very hurtful,
and not only tend to avert from us
the sympathy of civilized Europeans,
but to bring us under the lash and
sting Of the worlds contempt have
thus far done little to counteract this
tendency in public, but | have never
failed to bear my testimony when
confronted with it 10 private, with
pen and tongue. When | shall re.
turn to England, as hope to do in
the spring. shall probably make q
few speeches IN that country in vim
dication of the cause and character o.
the celored race in America,i in which
hope TO do justice to their progress
and make known some Of the Difficult
ties with which, as a people, they
have had to contend.
Notwithstanding what | have saif
of the malign influences | mentioned
the masses of the people, both il
France and in England, are sound ir
their convictions and feelings concer.
ing the colored race. The best element
of both countries are just and chari.
table toward US.
had the great pleasure yesterda,
of an interview with a member, I MAJ
say venerable and highly distin
guished member, of the Frenct
Senate, M. Schoelcher, the man wht
in the first hours of the revolution o
1848 drew up the decree and carried
through the measure Of emancipation
to the slaves in all the French colon.
les. Senator Schoelcher is now ovel
80 years old, but, like many othel
European statesmen. is still able t.
work. He attends the Senate daily
| and in addition to his other labors ht
is now writing the life Of Toussaint
| tho hero of Haytian independence ant
liberty. A splendid testimonial of tht
gratitude of the French colonies il
seen in his house In the shape of fig
ule of Liberty in bronze breaking tbt
| chains of the slave. The house O
this venerable and philanthropic Sen
| ator has in it many Of the relics O
slaveholding barbarism and cruelty
Besides broken fetters and chains
| which had once CALLED the limbs O.
slaves. he showed me one iron collar
with four huge prongs, placed upon
the necks eff refractory slaves. de-
signed to entangle and impede them
| in the bushes if they should attempt
to run away. | had seen the same
hellish implements in the States. but
did not know until l saw them here
that they were also used in the French
islands.
M.SchoelcLer spoke much in praise
Of Thomas jefferson, but blamed
Washington 1Eg latter could have
he eaid, abolished slavery and it was
his fault that slavery wss fastened